Dark Rift Delay - First delay pedal.....and it works!!

[MichaelW]

Yesterday I posted my first non-overdrive build with my Cornish compressor. The successful build gave me the nudge I needed to tackle a delay pedal.

I've had all the parts for my Dark Rift Delay sitting for a while lacking only the confidence of being willing to venture beyond dirt boxes.

I was inspired to build this after watching @jjjimi84's demo video. Plus it looked like a relatively easy build.
I'm also super inspired the sheer beauty of @fig's builds he's been posting lately and have unabashedly been stealing ideas from him.
Like using pin headers to connect 3PDT boards, like duhhhhh...why didn't I think of that?

I'm still having drilling issues lining up these 6 knob pedals, somehow even with the drill templates I'm still off a bit. But I DID remember to space out the knobs a wee bit so that I could use my flanged Boss style knobs.

This is a pretty cool pedal, the delay part of it is surprisingly warm and and analog-ish, just like the PT2399 marketing copy claims. My current retail delay pedal is a Strymon El Capistan, and I had a Strymon Timeline for a while too but the sheer number of options overwhelmed me and I sold it. I can definitely see this Dark Rift stepping in for the way "I" use delay, which is pretty subtle. Speaking of subtle, the bottom 3 knobs of the Dark Rift are anything but! Definitely gets into the typically wacky world of Earthquaker Devices. Having said that, when I dial the modulation way back, like on .5 I can get a nice Memory Man Deluxe kind of vibe, which is what I was hoping for. I am so stoked at having this thing fire up when I plugged it in! My first PT2399 chip seems like it's working fine. I've read that they can be dodgy, but not sure what I am looking for (are the bad ones noisy? or just don't work at all?).

 

[Harry Klippton]

Are you using a center punch before drilling? That helps with stopping the bit from wandering

 

[MichaelW]

Are you using a center punch before drilling? That helps with stopping the bit from wandering

Yah, I've tried using a smaller one first then a larger one, not much difference. I drill my pilot holes with a 2mm bit. I'm thinking maybe my Step Bit is getting worn down and I need a new one. It's looking pretty ragged.

 

[delayed]

Try an auto center punch then a single sized bit such as a 1/16th for every hole. Then work up to the correct size for each part.

 

[blackhatboojum]

My first PT2399 chip seems like it's working fine. I've read that they can be dodgy, but not sure what I am looking for (are the bad ones noisy? or just don't work at all?).

PT2399s can be a mixed bag. They can latch up and not produce an echo at all. I’ve had a couple that motorboat real bad. Some will distort easier than others from hotter pickups. They can have varying degrees of white noise on the repeats. It just depends on the variables. Like, where you source them, what circuit you’re putting them, stuff like that. They’re pretty cheap so, I buy several chips and test each one out in the pedal until I find the one that sounds the best. Any of them that latch up or motorboat real bad go in the scrap bin.

 

[MichaelW]

PT2399s can be a mixed bag. They can latch up and not produce an echo at all. I’ve had a couple that motorboat real bad. Some will distort easier than others from hotter pickups. They can have varying degrees of white noise on the repeats. It just depends on the variables. Like, where you source them, what circuit you’re putting them, stuff like that. They’re pretty cheap so, I buy several chips and test each one out in the pedal until I find the one that sounds the best. Any of them that latch up or motorboat real bad go in the scrap bin.

I bought 4, just in case. I might try swapping them out today and see if they all work.

 

[szukalski]

Mate.. your write-up is pushing this up my backlog!

 

[fig]

Is there a pcb in there? Hard to tell with all those bits about.
Very nice indeed Michael!

I'm also super inspired the sheer beauty of @fig's builds he's been posting lately and have unabashedly been stealing ideas from him.

I am flattered to pieces! Who told you I adored praise?

 

[jimilee]

Aw yeah, you’re hooked now, nice!

 

[Diynot]

Good looking build and yeah, a very nice delay. Are you printing your drill templates at 100%?

 

[MichaelW]

Good looking build and yeah, a very nice delay. Are you printing your drill templates at 100%?

Yes, but I've been using the PedalPCB drill template for the last few. I've noticed that there is still enough wiggle room with the template that these tightly grouped drill patterns can be off a smidge.

 

[Diynot]

Yes, but I've been using the PedalPCB drill template for the last few. I've noticed that there is still enough wiggle room with the template that these tightly grouped drill patterns can be off a smidge.

Weird, I have had very little problem with the supplied templates. I do drill out my potholes(?) to 9/32 on my step bit that does give a little play.

 

[MichaelW]

Weird, I have had very little problem with the supplied templates. I do drill out my potholes(?) to 9/32 on my step bit that does give a little play.

I'm fixing to drill out the box for my Spatialist Reverb today. Same 6 hole arrangement. I'm going to pay extra attention to see where my "meandering" is coming from. Could be my center punching technique. But I'm going old school with masking tape and a set of calipers this time

 

[Diynot]

I'm fixing to drill out the box for my Spatialist Reverb today. Same 6 hole arrangement. I'm going to pay extra attention to see where my "meandering" is coming from. Could be my center punching technique. But I'm going old school with masking tape and a set of calipers this time

I’ve always gone the graph paper route, at least you can get a relatively straight line reference

 

[Feral Feline]

I just get out a ruler and mark up the bare box with pencil, centre-punch, then drill the pilots, then drill out the holes, largest ones get the step bit.

 

[Feral Feline]

Here's my Valve Stem build. I didn't mark up the jack-holes, I just used the PedalPCB drill template shoved to one side, slid it over to the other and then measured the centre-point for the power jack between the in/out jacks.

Alas, this build is taking a back seat to a car build at the moment. I thought this Valve Stem'd be done by now, it's all ready to go.

 

[szukalski]

I've used the paper templates, and now the drill templates from the store. No matter what approach you take, there is room for movement when you do the center punch, and even if you get it perfect then your pilot hole can be slightly off because the center punch will often leave a little lip where it pushes the metal away to one side.

In terms of "manual perfection", I think a drill press would be the best way, but once these things are on the floor you won't ever notice!

 

[MichaelW]

I've used the paper templates, and now the drill templates from the store. No matter what approach you take, there is room for movement when you do the center punch, and even if you get it perfect then your pilot hole can be slightly off because the center punch will often leave a little lip where it pushes the metal away to one side.

In terms of "manual perfection", I think a drill press would be the best way, but once these things are on the floor you won't ever notice!

I actually have a drill press, but don't use it. It's a cheap one and the results I get by hand are usually better. I don't think it's the drilling part, I think you hit the nail on the head that there's always room for a little movement or "wandering" when using the center punch drilling pilot holes. I notice that even when I use my drill press.